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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bore — to tire
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. branch — a division
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. race — the arms race
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com